Training Opportunities

Training in Professional Psychology

Counseling and Psychological Services (C&PSs) is a division of Campus Life and Student Affairs and exists to help students function more effectively in the Drew community. The focus of our center emphasizes personal development and prevention, as well as remedial treatment. Information and counseling are provided to Drew students to help them deal with their individual concerns. In addition, the professional staff offers a variety of services, programs, and groups designed to augment students’ growth and development. Our purpose is to assist graduate, social, and academic development, and the achievement of their life goals.

Our clients present with a wide variety of issues, levels of functioning, and psychopathologies. The University is located in the New York metropolitan area and is generous with financial aid, therefore we see students from a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities. While most of our clients are undergraduates, we also see students from the Caspersen School of graduate studies and the Theological School, including seminary students studying for the ministry.

Postdoctoral Residency in Professional Psychology

Postdoctoral residents should be able to use the time here as an opportunity to refine their clinical skills and develop new competencies. The goal is to ultimately function as an independent professional psychologist by the end of the residency year. The atmosphere is non-hierarchical and collegial and the resident is treated as a professional member of our staff and expected to share their therapeutic insights both informally and during group supervision. We encourage residents to explore their own therapeutic “style” while maintaining an authentic therapeutic stance.

The Psychology Residency is a full time program that runs the academic year, from September to May. Postdocs may start in mid-August and end in mid-May if they elect to assist in training university professional and student staff, like Resident Assistants, Peer Mentors, Faculty Advisors, etc.

Practicum Training

Graduate students who are enrolled in a program in counseling, clinical, professional psychology, or related discipline are eligible for our training program. They are expected to work for approximately 16 hours a week (two full days or the equivalent). Most of the focus is on individual psychotherapy and clinical counseling. Beginning students will see very few clients the first semester but received intense supervision on the cases they do see. As their skill set increases, they will be assigned to more cases and eventually will also do initial intake sessions and assessments with clients. More advanced practicum students will start with a larger caseload and do intakes earlier. If scheduling permits, practicum students will be also be given the opportunity to co-lead a therapy group. Occasionally, the practicum trainee may run a workshop at night or on a weekend.

The Training Program and Activities

Philosophy: Our primary goal is to assist trainees to integrate their clinical, professional and ethical skills so that they will function independently and competently as professional psychologists or counselors. Our focus is on the trainee’s personal and professional growth through refining clinical/counseling skills, exploring personal style and developing a professional identity. Though most of the work here is clinical, all trainees are encouraged to engage in community prevention work by running workshops or functioning as a consultant..

Trainees whose professional goals include working with campus populations or private practice are most likely to find this practicum or residency relevant.

Weekly Meetings:

1 hour group supervision together with all senior staff

1 hour didactic professional development meeting

1 hour administrative/planning meeting

1 1/2 hour trainee supervision group

1 hour trainee supervision group on assessment and treatment of substance abuse

individual supervision:

1 hour for practicum students

2 hours for postdoctoral residents

Counseling: Training experiences are provided in individual, group and some relationship (couples, marital, family) counseling for approximately 17 hours minimum total per week. Trainees may receive two and a half hours of group supervision and one hour of individual supervision per week by a licensed psychologist. Recordings of sessions, informal presentations, and sometime case write-ups are employed. Supervision sessions address all the activities, clinical and professional, engaged in during their work at the Center. Clients are initially assigned to trainees by senior staff until they learn our procedures for doing intake assessments.

Supervision Philosophy: We believe in meeting the specific training needs of each individual student or post-doctoral resident. Clinical supervision not only focuses on technique and strategic interventions, but also on the therapist “use of self”. Beginning therapists are usually asked to pick a specific theoretical orientation and receive supervision from that orientation. As they become more experienced, they are encouraged to conceptualize their cases in ways that are integrative and multidisciplinary. More advanced clinicians are encouraged to work with new diagnostic populations and smooth the seams between theory and practice. Post-doctoral residents are expected to be able to function as an independent professional psychologist at the end of their work here.

Qualifications: Candidates for the post-doctoral position must have completed all formal course work toward their doctorate in counseling, clinical, or professional psychology. Supervised practicum and comprehensive examinations should have been completed, and anticipating that all graduation requirements will be completed prior to September.

Candidates for the practicum training positions should be enrolled in a graduate program in counseling. clinical or professional psychology or related discipline.

Appointment and Stipend: The unpaid practicum is for a nine month period, generally following the academic calendar. Practicum students may come in earlier if they wish to assist in the training CAPS staff provides for various campus groups including: Residence Life Staff, Peer Mentors, Faculty Advisors, or the Orientation Committee.

Psychology Residents serve a nine month period with a flexible start date between August 15th and September 1st. The stipend for 9 months will be at least $20,000 and will include employee benefits.

Outreach and Consultation: Trainees may offer workshops and presentations on campus on a variety of topics, including: substance abuse, eating disorders, stress and stress management, time management, LGBTQ Ally training, social skills, and relationship issues. Trainees may also have the opportunity to lecture in university classes. If a trainee has a particular passion or interest and wants to develop their own community-focused program they are encouraged to do so.

Professional Development: All trainees are invited to participate in the weekly training seminar focusing on issues related to clinical practice or college counseling. Presentations are facilitated by staff and trainees can present on a topic of interest if they are motivated to do so.

Release time is granted so that trainees may attend local conferences. Very limited funding may be available for this for Residents.

Evaluation: Trainees receive informal feedback often during the academic year. Evaluations are elicited from clients each semester. A formal evaluation is provided to the practicum student at the end of the each semester.

Application Due Date: Applications are reviewed starting January 5th and should preferably be submitted by February 1. We currently have openings for the 2015-2016 academic year. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. Applications should include the following:

A letter of interest, including a statement describing self, training and professional goals;

A current resume;

Two or three letters of reference from professional persons familiar with the applicant’s academic and counseling performance. One letter must be from the director of the applicant’s graduate psychology training program. It is recommended that one be a former clinical/counseling supervisor.

Letters of reference do not need to be included in the initial application. Students who are not local can arrange for a telephone interview.